Layaway programs are back in full force this holiday shopping season. The programs, where you pay for merchandise over time, are options for shoppers who don't have credit cards, or who don't want to use them.

The programs aren't free. They'll cost you a service fee, and if you break the rules, a cancellation fee, too. Today's Watchdog column explains the fees and penalties that some major retailers charge. I didn't have room to list all of the details, so here they are:

Other stores offer layaway, too. Check their websites or holiday ads for details.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York recently complained about the cost of layway. He argued that stores aren't doing an adequate job of disclosing the charges that come with the programs. He believes they should be disclosed as an annual interest rate instead.

I don't think it's an apples-to-apples comparison to compare a layaway fee and a credit card interest rate. But he makes a good point that stores should disclose their fees.

Curious whether stores were willingly sharing information, I checked out the Kmart on MacArthur Road this week. I asked a woman at the customer service desk how the store's layaway program works. She did a great job of accurately explaining all of the fees and conditions and answering my questions. Hopefully that's how it works in other stores, too.

My previous Thanksgiving Watchdog columns have addressed another angle on the holiday shopping season, the potential for scams and thieves to take advantage of you when you're stressed out. That advice still applies, and you can find it below. A lot of steps you can take to protect yourself are common sense.